Electrode holder



Nov. 9, 1948. VH. J. WAGNER 2,453,648

ELECTRODE HOLDER Filed Dec. 17, 194e l 2. sheets-sheet 1 Fig. l.

I 11 vntpr Henry J. Wagner @d/W15? Motels Nov. 9, 1948. H. J. WAGNER ELECTRODE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed DeG. 17, 1946 Q ON www?

Ivre/1to1' Henry J. Wagner wm mm.

mm. vm Dm Nm W 045mm Patented Nov. 9, 1.948

UNITED vSTATES PATENT' Claims.

This invention pertains to an improved construction of an electrode holder and more especially has reference to a holder for handling welding electrodes consuming heavy electrical cur'- rents.

The primary purposes of my invention are to provide an electrode holder which is capable of handling heavy currents with safety and without undue heating of the implement; which is of relatively light weight and easily manipulated Without fatigue by the user; which can readily accommodate a wide variety of sizes of electrodes; and which has a powerful and uniformly applied and maintained clamping action upon the electrodes.

Other ancillary objects reside in constructing a device in accordance with the foregoing objects and which has a normally engaged but manually released gripping arrangement; wherein all of the exposed parts are insulated to minimize dangers of shorts or shocks; wherein the operating mechanism is fully enclosed; and wherein the tool is compact, sturdy and efficient.

These, together with various additional objects which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are realized by my device, one embodiment of which has been illustrated,

by Way of example only, in theV accompanying.

drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the device.

Figure 3 is ya horizontal sectional view through the invention, being taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front end elevation of the device as viewed in Figure 1;v and Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of the upper and lower jaws respectively.

Referring in detail to the drawings, I0 denotes a. hollow handle which is preferably constructed of a rigid, tubular exteriorly corrugated or ribbed insulating material, and within which is received the lower or main jaw assembly I2- and an insulated electric cable I4. As shown best in Figure 6, the lower jaw assembly I2 comprises a pair of parallel, spaced side walls I6, integrally united with a longitudinally extending, iiat jaw I8' at one end and with a, tubular cylinder at the other end, the cylinder being axially bored or recessed as at 22 to detachably receive the end 24 of the cable I4. A series of set screws 26 are provided in the member 2D to detachably secure the cable 24 to the lower jaw assembly I2 in good electrical connection therewith. As will be unz. derstood from FiguresZ and 3, it is intended' that the cylinderl 20 shall constitute a bearing for locating the lower jaw assembly in the'handle ID, being snugly received therein and detachably retained as by a fastening screw 28 seated in an in- -sulating insert 30 in the cylinder 2U. Figure 5 shows more clearly the upperv or secondary jaw assembly =32 which includes anI angularlyV disposed bar of generally rectangular cross section and of a width proportioned to iit snugly and' oscillate between the side walls I6 of the lowery jaw assembly. At its rear end, the bar 32 has the screw threaded bore 34 vertically disposed while the front endA terminates in a flat jaw 36 ar'- ranged inparallelism with and superimposedl upon the lower-jaw I8. The jaw 36 is recessedI rearwardlyand providesa transversely positioned notch orrecess 38 for a purpose to become later apparent. It will be noted that' when assembled, the member 32 and its bore 34 lie beyond4` the confines of the handle I 0, the enlarged portion containing' bore 34 being slidably received in-a correspondingly enlarged portionl 35" ofl the-lower jaw assembly I2.

The lower and upper surfaces respectively ofthe lower andv upper jaws I8 and SB-'areprovided' with insulating coatings 40 and 42 respectively, which overhangv the front ends of the jaws' to provide an insulating shield therefor and are detachably'retained as by screws 44', embeddedinl countersunk. apertures and: coveredas bya plastic insulating material' 4B; As shown clearly1 in Figure 2, the coatings 4I! and 42-y overhang both front and side walls of the jaws I8 and 36. The adjacent surfaces oi the'jaws are preferably recessed, see Figures 3' and 6toreceive'inserts 50 and 52; grooved'asat 48.` and preferably of copper bonded to the jaw assemblies I2; and 32, whichI latter are conveniently formed of an aluminum alloy-metal castV ormolded'about the inserts. The. inserts have'lateralwalls 54l (Figure 4) embracing the sidesof the jaws, are axially groovedas at 58'to receive andV clamp anV electrode, not sh'own andthe insertllhas its lateral'walls 54 provided with inwardly turnedV anchoring ribs 5B'.

The bore 34 receives a threaded' plug, 6U constituting an adjustable` springseat for a purpose tobe later set forth..v

The` upper jaw is oscillatedLrelatve, tov the lower. jaw by a metallic lever 62, journaled between the side wall I6 of the lower jaw assembly, as by a pin 64 secured in transverse bores 66. The forward end of lever 62 has a wedge shaped nose 68 freely engageable in the notch 38, while the adjacent surface of the upper jaw assembly 32 is rounded or cut away as at 10 to give clearance for the lower, rounded surface of lever 62. At its rear end. lever 62 is recessed at 14 to detachably receive a seat 1G which guides and seats a pair of concentric coil springs 18, compressed between said seat 10 and the above mentioned adjustable screw threaded seating plug 50. An appropriately shaped insulating handle 80 is secured upon the upper surface of lever 62 as by screws 82, embedded therein and covered by an insulating seal as at 84. Handle 80 has a depending skirt Bi adapted to surround the rear portion of the lever 82 and extending within the confines of handle I in a longitudinal slot S8, this skirt being proportioned to freely travel between the side Walls I6 as the handle is depressed or released.

Substantially intermediate their lengths, the side walls i9 have lateral bosses 90, and screw threaded apertures 92, for attaching cylindrical insulating shield 94, which at the top portion is appropriately cut away 'to provide the slot or operating clearance @il for handle B0. Insulating seals 0d are provided to overlie the head of the screws li'il which are preferably countersunk in the member 94.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation will be readily understood. The springs Eil yieldingly oscillate the lever 62 in a counter-clockwise direction about the pin 64, causing the nose 63 to bias 'notch 38 and consequently the .upper jaw assembly 32 downwardly about its fulcrum point of contact with the enlarged portion 35i. This motion normally closes the jaws and exerts a uniform and steady pressure, insuring an even and satisfactory electrical Contact between an electrode and the groove seats B in the jaw assemblies. When it is desired to open the jaws, the handle 80 is depressed, thereby rotating the lever 62 in a clockwise direction against the action of springs 'i3 and elevating the upper jaw. The aluminum alloy construction of the jaw assemblies provides light weight with good strength and electrical conductivity while the copper jaw inserts give maximum current carrying capacity to the electrodes and minimizes the heating of the jaws by the heavy electric current. All external surfaces of the tool are full insulated to render the implement shock proof while the electrical conductor is secured directly to the main or lower f jaw asssembly for maximum electrical conductivity while the connection is housed in protected relation in the handle.

Since various embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent, I do not limit myself to the exact construction disclosed but may avail myself of all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electrode holder including a tubular handle, a main jaw assembly secured to said handle, an annular channel within the main jaw assembly, a secondary jaw assembly received within said main jaw assembly and an operating element for moving said secondary jaw assembly relative to the main jaw assembly, said secondary jaw assembly including a circular portion at its inner end slidably engaging said annular chamber and a at jaw at its forward end having a transverse notch, said operating element Cil 4 having a nose engaged in said notch for actuating said secondary jaw assembly.

2. An electrode holder including a tubular handle, a main jaw assembly secured to said handle, a secondary jaw assembly operative with and received within said main jaw assembly relative to the main jaw assembly, said secondary jaw assembly having an enlarged extremity, a bore in said extremity, a plug adjustable in said bore, spring means interposed between said plug and said operating element, said main jaw assembly being contoured to slidably receive said enlarged extremity.

3. An electrode holder including a tubular handle, a main jaw assembly secured to said handle, a secondary jaw assembly operative with and received within said main jaw assembly and an operating element for moving said secondary jaw assembly relative to the main jaw assembly, said main jaw assembly including parallel side walls for receiving said secondary jaw assembly therebetween and a laterally enlarged space between said side walls for receiving and journaling an enlarged extremity of said secondary jaw assembly.

4. An electrode holder including a handle, a xed jan,7 assembly carried thereby7 a movable jaw assembly received within said iixed jaw assembly, an operating element including a lever with arms of unequal length, a resilient means, the short engaging the movable jaw assembly intermediate its ends and the long arm being engaged with the resilient means to bias the jaw assemblies into closed position, said fixed jaw assembly including parallel side walls receiving said movable jaw assembly therebetween and a laterally enlarged space between said side walls for journalling an enlarged extremity of said movable jaw assembly.

5. An electrode holder including a handle, a main jaw assembly carried thereby7 a secondary jaw assembly cooperating with and received within said main jaw assembly, an operating element, said secondary jaw assembly having an enlarged extremity, a bore in said extremity, a plug adjustable in said bore, spring means interposed between said plug and said operating element, said main jaw assembly being contoured to slidably receive said enlarged extremity, said operating element having' a depending skirt enclosing the rear surface thereof.

HENRY J. WAGNER.

REFERENCES CKTED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,677,306 Stauclii July 17, 1928 2,179,440 "Wagner Nov. 7, 1939 2.300295 Jackson Oct. 27, 1942 2,304,321 Wagner Dec. 8, 1942 2,350,614 Jackson June 6, 1944 2,358,220 Donnelly Sept. 12, 1944 2,393,742 Brajitis Jan. 29, 1946 2,403,086 Kenworthy July 2, 1946 2,404,125 Donnell7 July 16, 1946 

